SEASON 2019 www.saffronwaldencricket.co.uk Directions to Saffron Walden Cricket Club Saffron Walden Cricket Club Bridge End Gardens Catons Lane Car Park Children’s Playground The Victory Pub (now closed) Fry Art Gallery The Common Tourist Information Office Market Square On foot from Market Square By car from The Common Cover photo courtesy of Graham Harding Inner photos courtesy of David Razzell, Jamie Pluck and Graham Harding VIEW FROM THE CHAIR he Man in the Box will share with you the moment when the T2018 season finished in such wet but glorious circumstances, when we regained our status as a Premier League side. Having been in the premier league system since its inception in 1999 it was difficult to accept that, in 2015, we were simply not good enough to retain that status. The glory days when we were the best club in the country in 2002 and had won the Essex Premier League for 3 years in succession were long gone. The golden era which saw young, local players, many on the fringes of the county circuit, become a powerful force in cricket locally and nationally became part of our history. The wonderful exception to this is Giles Ecclestone, a veteran of that era, and still playing. Indeed, he played a pivotal innings on that very wet day last season when we secured our win against Norwich. The rebuilding began in 2005 when we established our Academy but it was always going to take time for it to impact at the right level. My first year as chairman in 2014 saw us finish bottom of the East Anglian Premier League but we didn’t get relegated because another team left the league. In my second year as chairman, we were relegated. In educational parlance the club had gone from ‘outstanding’ to ‘requires improvement’. Regaining our premier league status, the highest level of recreational cricket in the country, was therefore a special moment for me personally. To know that it had been achieved by a group of young, largely local players made it even more special. Driven by a clear set of values, playing competitively within the spirit of cricket, applying professional standards as amateurs and, most of all, enjoying what they were doing made it even more special - and something the club can be proud of. It should also inspire those coming up through the ranks. This achievement is testament to the work of over 80 volunteers including coaches and junior team managers and those who have transformed our clubhouse this winter in preparation for this new challenge. This is a special club – inclusive, well-supported, ambitious and committed; our values underpin what we do – friendship, humility, pride and resilience. This creates strong foundations that enable us to rise to challenges and approach the future with confidence. David Barrs Chairman Friendship l Humility l Pride l Resilience 3 4 A VIEW FROM THE SCOREBOX 018 was the twentieth season of ECB Premier Leagues, introduced in 1999 2following the publication of Lord MacLaurin’s “Raising The Standard” document. Whether they have succeeded in raising the standard of club cricket is a moot point; they have unquestionably raised the cost. SWCC were members of the Essex Premier League from its inception in 1999 until 2008, winning it four times between 2001 and 2005. From 2009 until they were relegated at the end of the 2015 season, they were members of the EAPL, with a best finish of second in 2010. Since 2015, they have been experiencing how the other, rather more than half, live. In twenty years, the EAPL has been won seven times by Swardeston, most recently in successive seasons from 2012-16. I have always been a fan of the “Swardeston model” as a recipe for success – a core group of about thirteen players all playing for one another, not relying on one or two “stars” and never knowing when they were beaten. In 2018 SWCC emulated that model: eleven players, eight of them “home grown” and mostly under 25, played between fifteen and nineteen matches, with two more, both “home grown”, playing thirteen between them. The last weekend of the season was intended to be the first, but a very wet start saw the April 14th fixtures switched wholesale to 15th September when, as chance would have it, the top four teams were playing one another with any of them capable of winning the league. SWCC’s last three games were all at home and against the other three sides in the top four. Things didn’t start well on 1st September against Eaton Socon, to whom we lost by 30 runs. SWCC’s only other league defeat of the year was also to Eaton Socon when, missing four of the regulars, we lost by six runs. Next were Sawston who were beaten comfortably but, crucially, without bowling them out. Finally we beat Foxton equally comfortably and bowled them out in the process for the maximum 30 points. The game finished at 17.45 and we had an agonising wait while the game at Eaton Socon, where they were playing Sawston, was fluctuating wildly with both sides in contention. Batting first, Eaton Socon were 102-7 at one point before recovering to 216, losing their last wicket with just three balls left. Had they managed to survive those three balls, SWCC would have been champions as soon as their game finished but if Sawston could win they would beat us to the title by three points. Sawston started well before collapsing from 61-1 to 143-9. Their last wicket then added 56 as the tension at the AAPF heightened. All those with “smart ‘phones” were following the game on Play-Cricket and there was suddenly an outburst of cheering as the last Sawston wicket fell. After all that excitement and tension, the play-offs (not held in 2017 as none of the “feeder league” winners wanted promotion) were somewhat easier. First we beat Worlington, winners of the Two Counties League, comfortably enough in the end by three wickets after a partnership of 132 between Simon Parmenter and Joe Barrs. Then came Norwich, the bottom team in the EAPL who had beaten Fakenham in the 5 A VIEW FROM THE SCOREBOX (continued) other semi-final. Their star overseas batsman, who had broken the EAPL runs in a season record, was dismissed for two and, with the game played mostly in a light drizzle, we eventually needed 142 from 40 overs, winning by seven wickets with 13.4 overs to spare, seen home by a masterful near run-a-ball 85 by Giles Ecclestone. It so happened that the three players in the runs in the play-off matches were the three remaining links with the side which had played in the Essex Premier League but this was very much a team effort. The fielding was almost always excellent, as you would expect from a young side, and different players “put their hands up” at different times to bring about fifteen wins. Three games, two more than any of our rivals, were lost to the weather. In his first season as captain, Ben Harris led the side well and also led us to victory in the Essex Foundation T20 Cup at the county ground in Chelmsford scoring 136 in 69 balls. As I write he has followed that with a hundred off 39 balls in a pre-season friendly against Sudbury, winners of the EAPL for the last two years. The Man in the Box 1st XI 2018 SAFFRON WALDEN CRICKET CLUB Charitable Incorporated Organisation CIO No: 1157468 Trustees: David Barrs (Chairman) Peter Hill / Chris Larlham John Lodge / John Whitaker / Tony Wiseman 6 CLUB OFFICERS Club Officers: Email contact via [email protected] Executive Committee: Chairman (& Designated Safeguarding Lead DSL): David Barrs Vice Chairman: Tony Wiseman Club Captain: Tom Rodda Club Treasurer: Peter Hill Club Secretary: Alison Mable Fixture Secretary: Chris Larlham Social Secretary: Sharon Willis Clubhouse Manager: Linda Hancock Academy Co-ordinator: David Hancock Academy Secretary: Julia Turner Other Officers: Contact via Volunteer Co-ordinator, David Barrs, [email protected] Chairman of Selectors: Peter Hill Senior Vice-President: Andrew Arnold Coaching Co-ordinator: Ray Mordini Lead Coach: Early Years (Sundays): Ray Mordini Sunday morning/Early Years manager: David Razzell Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): David Barrs Assistant DSL: vacant Press Officer: Colette Deamer Photographer: Jamie Pluck Girls Cricket Officer: Daniela Karsten Disabled Cricket Officers: Dan Thomas, Michele Thomas Website manager: Alison Mable Membership Database Manager: Clare Vintiner Volunteer co-ordinator: David Barrs Past Player co-ordinator: vacant Village Club Liaison Officer: Kevin Wendelken Schools Liaison Officer: Kathie Moy/Gareth Williams Social Media Co-ordinator: David Razzell Fitness coach: Steve Larsen Sunday Café: Alison Mable Bar: Linda Hancock and others Others: Club Coach: Ray Mordini Senior Coaches: Kevin Duers, Jason Gallian, Nigel Tegg AAPF Groundsman: Graham Sneath SWCHS Groundsman: Terry Horsfield Ashdon Groundsman: tbc Caterers: Ashdon Catering, Sue Barwood Bar: Sue Barwood Graphic Designer: Graham Harding 7 GRAY PALMER 47 High Street, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1AR [email protected] 01799 522159 are proud to sell the kit for Saffron Walden Cricket Club CRICKET SHIRT TRAINING TROUSERS 24”, 26”, 28”, 30” Adults: XS, S, M, L £24.00 Black Tech Childrens: 7-8yrs, Trouser £22.00 9-10yrs, 11-12yrs, 13-14yrs £24.00 White Cricket £31.00 Trouser £21.00 TRAINING TOP SHORTS & SKORTS £16.00 Cricket Shorts: 26”, 28”, 30”, 32”, 34”, 36” Long Sleeve Cricket Skorts: Cricket Shirt: £26.00 26”, 28”, 30”, 32” £19.95 S, M, L Short Sleeve Training PULLOVER HOODIE £26.00 Top: S, M, L, XL plus Age 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 £55.00 £45.00 CLUB BLAZER Embroidered XXS, XS, Poly-cotton Sleeveless S, M, Woollen Pullover: L, £140.00 M, L, XL XL Made to measure Hat (Subject to minimum £11.00 orders) Sun Hat Plain Cricket Sweater £11.95 Long Sleeve: £25.00 £15.95 Plain Sleeveless Pullover: £22.00 SILK TIE HATS Green Track Jacket: £25.00 In store and online: www graypalmer.co.uk (schoolwear tab for the Club online shop) 8 CLUB KIT All items with club badge and sponsor logos.